Enter Q
by MoonSpider95
Summary: A new girl comes to Wammy's House, and she's a little out of the ordinary. Raised in the circus and literally a genius while on the high wires, Quinn Cummings may just be worthy of becoming a successor. AU/OC, OCxMello, references to MattxMello
1. The Entrance Exam

**A/N: The prologue to my latest idea. A taste of what is to come. :D I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>"Students, your test will begin shortly. Remember, very prestigious schools will be looking over these, but don't let any pressure get to you. All this test will do is see what you already know. You may begin."<p>

Quinn Cummings couldn't hold still in her seat. How was anybody supposed to take a test like this? Just _sitting_? She adjusted so her knees were to her chest after the paper was given to her, but it didn't help at all. She needed something different. Quinn grimaced as she could tell her live-in classmates were glaring at her. They knew she was a freak about this and they knew what she would do, but she had no choice. She just _couldn't_ sit down for this!

Quinn hopped onto one of the banisters above her. Not that this orphanage was poor, but it did lack a ceiling where it had a roof and insulation. That didn't bother her. She swung her legs around one of the wooden poles and flipped onto the other. The rush to her brain always did her good. She filled out a couple answers.

"Ms. Cummings, get down from there!" the instructor yelled. She ignored him. He waved his hand at her in defeat as she continued to fill out answers on the ceiling. Careful eyes laid on her. It wasn't her fault. She was raised like this. Quinn could hear them whispering, murmurs that she hoped would be caught by the teacher but fell on deaf ears.

"I hear that freak was raised in a circus."

"She does realize that she's not on the high wires anymore, right?"

"Girl is like a friggin' chipmunk. That could get someone in trouble."

"I guess it only makes sense her folks are dead."

More answers flowed into her mind as she hung upside-down from the beams, ignoring the rude comments. Everything about this test seemed so natural too her, so obvious. Everything, she noticed when she was a toddler, was easier to think about in the air. With a wall as a desk, she hung like a bat and finished the entire standardized test in five minutes flat.


	2. The Orphanage

**A/N: The next chapter of my OC fan fic where she gets her code name and takes a stroll around her new home! I own nothing! (Not even Q, really, since I discovered that there is a Q in continuity. She was on L's mailing list in the third movie. Lol, Imma have fun with that in later chapters...)**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>"Welcome to your new home, Ms. Cummings." Wateri led her by the hand to a giant orphanage which for some reason was named Wammy's House. Being twelve years old at the moment, the place seemed larger than it already was. There were a couple children playing outside, but they both stopped when they saw Quinn. She instantly felt embarrassed. Seeing that she was moving to a strange new place, she wore her security blanket: her old acrobatic uniform. Her face turned red.<p>

As if reading her mind, Wateri wrapped his coat around her and motioned for her to follow as he walked inside. She didn't see any more children walking in, though. The orphanage also served as a school, so some were probably still in class. Quinn was led into an office that overall made her feel claustrophobic though the decorations made it seem cozy. She sat in a chair, and Wateri was opposite her. "Ms. Cummings, do you know why you were transferred to this orphanage?"

She smiled weakly. "I did good on a test?"

He returned that smile. "You did wonderfully. You had a near-perfect score, above the ranking of most standardized tests that determine college tuition."

Her heart picked up its pace. Did that mean she was a genius? She knew she thought things through more when upside-down, but to be that knowledgeable? Was it possible? Her eyes widened in excitement, though her curiosity got the better of her. "What did I get wrong?"

He replied, "Your name. Your spelling was off by one letter. I suggest calming yourself before a test as it seems your anxiety can get the better of you."

Quinn blushed even more deeply. One thing. ONE thing she got wrong, and it was her name? She no longer had any right to outdo someone academically…

Wateri continued. "You don't need to feel upset. Relax yourself, and you will feel right at home here. As for your acrobatics, which I have been made aware of, almost every child living here has a quirk or two similar to yours, so don't think you will be out of place."

Quinn nodded. "T-thank you."

He added, "The purpose of this school is to refine young individuals so that they can reach their full potential." He was typing on the computer while Quinn sat in a daze. "I ask you to not share your real name or past with anyone. If you grow close to someone and want to exchange names, you are each given a code name to address yourselves by. You are Quyen. Does that sound fine to you?"

"Y-yeah. That's fine." An instant red light went off in her head. Why would she need a fake name? Exactly what was going on in this school?

Wateri got up and she followed. He continued, "There is more to learn about what is to be expected at this school and other reasons for being here, but for now, while I arrange a schedule for you, get to know some of your classmates. You may come to like being here."

She was led out the door and Wateri seemed to disappear after that. Nervousness set in her. Why was she such a freak? Even if every other person at this orphanage was a genius, it certainly can't be a common thing to hop among the ceiling banisters. So, Quinn did what she always did when she was stressed, that being hopping among the ceiling banisters.

20 minutes went by without anyone coming along. It was enough to get her to catch her breath. After hanging upside-down for such a time, of course her head began to feel faint. Before she could manage to get down, though, a few kids walked beneath her. It seemed they couldn't see her because, honestly, how often do people look up? There seemed to be three of them, two boys and a girl. One boy was playing with cards in his hands and dressed in all white to match his hair while the other one had a flaming red mop that was accented by a red and black striped shirt, blue jeans, and the glow of his Nintendo. The girl was dressed in all black, had shoulder-length blond hair, and was leaning against a while and pigging out on chocolate.

Quinn's heart stopped beating. How could she get down and explain herself? She didn't have much time to think, though. She began to slip from the banister and let out a squeal. The three kids' heads shot up.


	3. Mello, Matt, & Near

**A/N: Well, things are starting to get interesting in this chapter. WARNING: This is where the MelloxOC-ness begins. ;) Don't like, don't read.**

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><p>The three kids looked up to Quinn, a little puzzled, before she finally fell to the ground. The blond-haired one in black held his chocolate as a pointer. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" The girl's eyes widened when realizing that the one that spoke was indeed a boy, contrary to her prior beliefs.<p>

She scrambled to her feet and brushed off her uniform. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm a new student here and needed to be in the air to think."

The pajama-clad boy twirled a finger through his white mane. He stated monotonously, "Welcome. May you prosper here."

The Nintendo-addict, to the astonishment of the other two, put away his video game. "Nice to meet you! I'm Matt! The albino's name is Near, and this is Mello." He pointed to Mello, and the guy snapped off a piece of chocolate in his mouth. He seemed to really like chocolate.

"Well, it's nice to meet you too!" Quinn waved at them. "My name's Qu…Quyen." To be honest, she only remembered that name because it sounded exactly like _queen_.

"Queen, huh?" Matt tested the name. "Cool."

Mello sauntered over to her. "Yeah, well you still had no reason to be on the ceiling! And what's with that outfit?" His hand, and chocolate by chance, lowered to exhibit her sparkly pink leotard. "What are you, a circus performer?"

Quyen nodded. "Well actually, I am."

Mello looked like he saw a ghost. Matt chuckled, not at all trying to be discreet. "Heheh, awkwaaaard."

Quyen blushed and, not knowing what to say, continued. "I'm sorry if I startled you guys, but I'm a genius like you all and I can only think good if I'm in the air somehow. Think it came with being an acrobat."

Near said, "Well."

She shot him a questioning glance.

"You said 'think _good_'. It's 'well'."

"Oh, sorry …" she murmured shyly.

Near responded, "Think nothing of it. You claim your intelligence is only enhanced when in high altitudes, therefore being ground-level you would only be at average intelligence at best. Thus, I would not expect you to have proper grammar in your current state."

Quyen made a decision at that moment: she did not like Near.

Mello gripped Near's hair and used it to toss him backwards. "Quit being such a tweeb, will ya?" His expression softened when he looked over to her. "Listen, sorry I got so rough. Being in the circus is pretty cool. If you ever wanna hang out, it's fine with me." Mello turned back to Matt, who was gleefully observing the scene, and pulled his arm to lead him to a different room. Being that this meant being in a room alone with Near, Quyen left quietly and wandered more around the orphanage.

She no longer felt the need to think or clear her head, so the girl walked aimlessly before she bumped into another man in the hallway. Like Wateri, his head was completely white and he wore glasses. Unlike him, however, was an aura of bitterness, nearing evil. He spit, "You're the new arrival, right? Your room is right down the hall from here. It's labeled 202."

She stammered back. "W-who are you?"

He sighed and continued. "I am Roger Ruvie, the head of the house while Wateri is away."

"Where'd he go?" she questioned right away. Knowing him for only so long, Quyen couldn't say that she was particularly attached to him, but with him came a sense of security and kindness, something that she desperately needed at this time and something that Roger certainly was not emanating.

If the man's eye could shoot a laser beam, they would. "Wateri has left to pick up L and bring him here. He has decided to announce the beginning of his involvement in a rather difficult case and the other children tend to be overjoyed when L makes his visits between cases."

Quyen shook her head, overloaded with questions. "Wait, L? Cases? Who's this L?"

Roger looked to her, as if testing to see if this was some kind of joke. "Weren't you informed of him when you were transferred here?"

She shook her head.

He rolled his eyes. "L is an entity. He is known as the World's Greatest Detective, but no one knows what he looks like. Typically, he communicates to the children through his computer. All of these children here are gathered to be the next L, the next greatest detective. It is the title everyone here aspires to achieve."

Quyen began to protest in disbelief. "But, Mr. Wateri said that this place was made so we could grow up and be the best we can be!" The cliché escaped from her lips, and she realized it to be so, but that was the truth that he told her and she honestly believed it.

Roger scratched his head. "Yeah, well I guess that's the purpose it serves for the ones that won't become L." He turned and left her, only waving absently as a form of goodbye. Quyen ran into her bedroom, which she found after getting turned around a couple times in the hallway, and jumped onto her bed. There was no use unpacking right then because there was nothing more than spare uniforms in her suitcase. That and normal clothes, but she never cared for them. Then, she just laid on her hard mattress and waited for the next day to come.

A mysterious detective. An ulterior motive to her new home. People like Roger and Near. Wammy's House was proving to be too much for her. She told herself that if she wasn't such a freak then she'd be somewhat normal at the other orphanage, her circus background aside. If she had to be a genius, why not all the time? Why did it have to be only while she was in the air?

Quyen tossed her pillow to the other side and changed positions. If L only communicated through the computer screen, then why did he have to come over at all? The idea gave her the creeps. This random person who probably does nothing but work on the worst crimes shows up at a building full of kids to have a "chat" with them. The whole thing reeked of pedophilia. Disregarding Near, at least Mello was willing to be her friend. Kind of. And Matt, maybe – he didn't talk much.

Mello was something else too. Quyen giggled a little, remembering how she first mistook him for a girl. Was it her fault? He had such pretty blond hair! Then again, he had the attitude to make up for it, and black certainly complimented him.

She felt her face heating up and dug deep in between her pillow and the crack between the wall and the head of her bed. Why of all things did she have to start thinking about Mello when everyone else was so excited about L?


	4. The Lengendary L

Quyen gazed at herself in the mirror. Obviously, she needed more clothes than just her acrobatic uniform, so she had gone shopping the previous afternoon, much to Roger's disgust. Quyen could see why. Consciously, she knew the clothes she picked out were a little revealing. Her pants were tight, and her skirts were short, thought she would always wear tights underneath. Her shirts clung to her suggestively and in some cases were even strapless. Some called it distasteful, but she called it functional. Even if she was a little more developed than other girls her age, leading her to not at all being embarrassed by her fashion choices, it was the capability to move that mattered the most to her. The strictest thing she now owned was a pair of jeans, and even they contorted to her every movements, as flexible as her limbs themselves. Each item was carefully selected to give her a full range of movement as well as exemplifying her personality.

The outfit Quyen had on now was a rather short jean skirt with purple tights covering her. Her top was a sparkly pink, reminiscent of her acrobatic uniform. It stretched over only one shoulder but was snug to her form. She flipped into the air and used her feet to catch the wooden paneling of her bedroom. All was as she planned.

Soon, Quyen exited her bedroom sporting her new look and spotted Mello immediately. The previous night, she had succumbed to the sensations that intensified when he was near and starved her when she was left alone. She spotted Mello biting off a piece of his chocolate bar, as he always seems to be doing. Quyen made a mental note to buy him some chocolate soon; he really, _really_ liked it. The three boys were again together at the center room and she walked toward them. Matt didn't bother to look up from his game and Near had no response, as expected of him. Mello looked up by chance, and was silent for a few seconds. "Cool outfit. Tired of being known as the circus kid already?"

That … was a rather unexpected low blow.

"Something like that," she responded. "Not a fan of tights 24/7, so these are comfy and let me move."

The other two boys were still distracted, so there was silence while the couple thought up something to say. "So, you excited about getting to meet L?" His face, for once, was showing genuine enthusiasm. Almost joy.

Quyen cocked her head to the side. "You like him?"

Mello reacted as if he was asked if he thought World War II was _pretty bad_. "Are you kidding? L is the greatest detective in the world! He has an incalculable IQ, has solved the hardest crimes the world has ever known without ever making a mistake! He is so mysterious, too! I mean no one has ever seen his face or known his name, and isn't that something everyone can find admirable? I mean even if some people don't want to trust him you have to think about all of the effort that's put into guarding his identity. But seriously, everyone looks up to him because of all that he was able to accomplish in the pursuit of justice! You know, I'm not supposed to tell, like, everyone, but I'm one of the first in the running to be his successor. I mean, we all are technically, but I'd be the first one – Me or Near, but I'm pretty sure it's gonna be me – and then the same thing would happen over again: kids would be trained to proceed me when _I_ die! I know I'll only get to see L over the computer screen and he'll totally disguise his voice and stuff, but when I'm older we're finally going to meet face to face and –"

"Enough, Mello," Near stated monotonously. "You're giving the poor girl a migraine."

Quyen backed away from her would-be beau. "I think I'll just hang back." Quyen started walking away, still looking at them. Mello seemed very disappointed, but Matt and Near were, once again, apathetic. She turned and ran away. She hid in the back of the orphanage, where no one would find her for one reason: moments after her departure, there was a call for all of the children to attend L's screening. They were all gathering in a large classroom, but Quyen wanted no part of it. She crawled to the roof to think, hanging upside-down from one of the gutters.

Soon, a man walked up to her. He was a rather strange man. He was barefoot, his toes not dirty if only for the fact that there was smooth concrete at the orphanage in place of dirt. Loose blue jeans and a white shirt seemed to naturally suit him, but the dark circles under his eyes and messy black hair was rather disturbing. He walked in a slouch and seemed to be silently evaluating her. He asked, "Shouldn't you be on your way?"

Quyen sighed. "I came here to find a way to perfect my intelligence and put it to a good use, not to idolize someone I had only learned of yesterday."

As he drew closer, the man seemed perplexed by her reaction. "We have never met. You seem so comfortable and did not even ask my name."

She answered, "I really don't care for names, especially since around here they're all fake; I was given the name "Quyen". Besides, I have a pretty good idea of who you are."

He seemed intrigued. "Oh? Who would that be … Quyen?"

Quyen nodded. "You're a grown man walking freely amongst a place for children. Given the security here isn't exactly lax and I have seen a few older men already, I can only come to the conclusion that you are another important person to this place. A guest. A director. Something. Honestly, I just moved in. I don't care for seeing so many new people. I also don't care for being in crowds, another reason to skip that screening. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be there?"

He nodded. "Fair enough. And yes, I should. But there are plenty of children in this home. They won't be expecting L for another twenty minutes or so. Until then, Wateri shall keep them under control."

Quyen swung from the gutter, ignoring the creaks from it. "Ah yes, 'Wateri – Barer of the Laptop'. I saw him move to set it all up."

He began to seem increasingly worried. "Perhaps you should come down from there."

She shook her head. "Nope. I think better this way. I know it's weird having to be positioned a certain way to have a certain intelligence, but that's how I am."

He smiled. "That's understandable."

Soon, Quyen felt she could vent to him. He really didn't seem so bad, even if the more she looked to him the more she felt oddly disturbed, like something inside of her was trying to tell her something. It was an unwarranted feeling. She continued, "You should head back to the others to see L. I'm a little annoyed they're so into some guy they never met, as in someone who could be a total creep, but that's my gripe. You should go."

He backed away again. "Perhaps I should. Though, I must add, Quyen, that it is admirable not to follow blindly. You are far more logical than most in that respect." Then, he left.

The weather was beginning to feel particularly harsh to Quyen. Though it was early spring, the temperature seemed to gradually grow colder the longer she was left alone. Her mind drifted to the other orphans and their aspirations to become to new greatest detective. Was there even such a thing? Surely there is no one capable of doing the things that she had heard people claim L did. His intelligence would have to be incalculable. He would have to see and do so many things. He would have to find some way to gain trust within police forces of all known countries just so his search wouldn't be restricted. There could never be a man like L.

Quyen thought, partly in regret and partly in relief, that L was someone who she would never meet.


	5. First Kiss

**Author's Note: Here, it is revealed the major inspiration for Quyen's origin. XD It's Dick Grayson. I feel I altered her circus origin and costume enough, but yeah it's basically the same. Sorry for my copycat-ness, lolz.**

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><p>Quyen still hung upside-down from the orphanage's gutters. It seemed to have been taking a long time for other children to come back from a chat with their hero, L. She still didn't understand it. Soon enough, she was able to hear the footsteps of the many children living there and only felt worse, enjoying the time to herself despite the loneliness. Quyen, in all honesty, could never decide if it was better to be alone or with someone else.<p>

"Quyen!" Mello came rushing towards her. Surprisingly, Matt wasn't acting as his shadow at the moment. "Where were you? L blew everyone's minds at the conference!" Once again, Mello showed the exasperated-fanboy side of him, but she thought to herself that it was starting to look cute.

"I was out here talking with somebody." She shrugged. It was true and, as stated before, she didn't care to learn his name.

Mello looked intrigued. "Really? Who?"

She sighed. "I don't know. Some guy with messy black hair, a white shirt and blue jeans. Not really a fashionista, but –"

Mello looked scared. "That'd be B."

"Beebee?" Quyen questioned.

"Yeah," Mello answered, confusing her suggestion with the boy's acronym. He turned to see that the boy in question, who Quinn noticed was younger than the man she had seen before, was standing behind them towards the gate of the orphanage. "you need to stay away from him. He's gotten a little obsessive about L over the years. I heard he was planning to run away from the orphanage tonight. I don't know what he's planning, but it can't be good. We shouldn't get involved."

When Quyen looked over to him, B met her gaze. She thought it was her imagination, but his eyes seemed to shine a bright red. It was as if looking into the eyes of a monster. She shook her head. "Don't worry, I won't." She thought back to the man she met, knowing he wasn't B but not knowing how to bring it back up with Mello. She decided to skip the conversation entirely.

Mello seemed, worried now, so for a few moments Quyen spent her time silently walking alongside him. His mind seemed to constantly go back to B, obviously disturbed by the idea of her talking with him while he was away. At one point Mello went to his room and opted to close the door behind him, but Quyen stopped him before it was shut. He looked to her confused, but he saw she only wanted to comfort him.

On his bed, they sat huddled next to each other, her unable to say a word. Soon, there was conversation, but only mindless small talk. After Quyen was able to give Mello a chocolate bar, which he nibbled for about half of a minute before practically swallowing it, all of the tense atmosphere of gone.

She hung upside-down from his bed and he smiled down at her. "What are you doing?"

Quyen giggled. "Thinking. What does it look like?"

Mello laughed, that being the first time she had ever seen him do it. He joined her hanging off of the bed. "What are you thinking about?"

She sighed. "Stuff. Earlier today. This school. Everything."

He turned on his stomach. "How did you wind up here, anyhow?"

"I passed the entrance exam."

"No, not that," he clarified. "If it's not too soon to ask, how did you go from a circus family to Wammy's?"

Quinn sat up straight while thinking it over, though it caused her to become extremely dizzy. "Well, like I said, I was raised as an acrobat. My family was scheduled for a performance that night, so they were practicing. Because I was the youngest, though, I train with other people too, to have more skills. I was learning how to throw knives when it happened."

Despite the sad backstory, Mello's mind couldn't help but wander. "You can throw knives?"

Quyen took a steak knife left over from one of the dinner plates still rotting in the corner – which was still gross to her – and threw it in the air above her face almost aimlessly and hit Matt's poster of Steve Jobs in the direct center of his left eye.

"Impressive." He waved his hand for her to continue the story.

"My parents were on the high wires when the ropes snapped. No one is sure if someone cut them or if it really was an accident. But I lost my whole family. I guess it wasn't as bad as it could've been because I never had to see them dead; I was just told about it later. Still, it would've been nice to know if it really was murder and then maybe find the person responsible. It can never happen now."

Mello snapped off another bite of chocolate, of which Quinn was surprised he had any left, but had to wait a moment to think of something to say. "Keep thinking of it as an accident. You'll have a lot less nightmares that way." He paused before speaking again. "My parents –"

Normally Quinn would have liked the equal footing, but when Mello spoke there was more than just depression and heartache. There was anger there too. Something happened, and knowing Mello he just wasn't ready to talk about it. Quyen stopped him. "Mello. You don't have to tell me. You know, I'm an open book. I wouldn't even keep my real name from you if it weren't for Roger forbidding it. You aren't like that. You don't have to say a word."

When she said that, her hand moved over Mello's. She blushed but Mello looked calm as always. Quinn then became aware of the proximity she was the boy in his own bedroom. He cupped her face in his hand and drew her closer. It was finally going to happen. Seconds later, the two were sharing a kiss that must have been the highlight of both their lives. Being as young as they were, there wasn't any tongue involved, if that's what you were thinking. Instead, they shared their first, which paved the way to an amazing relationship.


	6. Goodbye

**Author's Note:in the novel "L: Change theWorld" (based off the movie), "Q" was mentioned as the actual designer of Kira investigation Headquarters. Of course, I had no idea prior to creating her. So, though I realize the book is in a different continuity, I made it work. :D**

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><p>Quyen waited patiently outside of Roger's office. It had been a few years since she had first entered Wammy's House. Now, at the age of fourteen, she shared a room with Linda. They weren't close friends, though. Sometimes, personalities just clashed. She slumped down at the foot of the door, ruffling a pack of cigarettes underneath her shirt. Since Matt started smoking, she took the risk of smuggling some for him. It was the least she could do for a friend, though she wondered why he would ever start the disgusting habit.<p>

The door creaked open and she hid it back into her waistband. Mello and Near walked out, but first seemed especially depressed. She grabbed him in the hall. "Mells, what happened in there?"

He had that look that made it seemed like he was angry, but wasn't sure if it was just at himself. "So, how'd that security system at the Kira Investigation Headquarters work out? Nice job?"

A while ago, Quinn was called upon for her knowledge in computer design. Her advanced intelligence surpassed even Matt when it came to designing computer software among other things, though he was still top of his class when it came to breaking them. Soon after the Los Angeles BB Murder Cases, Quyen was contacted by L to create a security system for the investigation crew's building. So far, things had seemed to have gone smoothly. "Yeah…why?"

Quinn couldn't tell just yet, Mello turned away from her, but she could have sworn the man was close to tears. "Yeah? Some security job. L … L is …"

Quyen's eyes widened, refusing to believe what was being implied. She grabbed him by his shoulders. "What? What happened to L?"

With a deep breath, he was finally able to come out with it. "L is dead."

Not knowing him, it didn't come as such an earth-shattering blow to her. Still, she shook her head in disbelief. "Mello … Mello, I'm so sorry. I know how much you idolized him. You…you don't blame me for this, do you?"

He grabbed her hand and ran away to his bedroom. Unlike the first time she visited, the room was almost vacant of anything filthy. He swung Quyen on his bed. "I don't blame you. But I can't stay."

She watched as he pulled a suitcase out from underneath his bed. "Where are you going?"

After opening the case, he packed his clothes – mostly leather goods – with just about anything else he may need. "I already have a plan. Kira killed L, and that's why I can't blame you, feelings aside. Kira had some kind of power that allowed him to kill people without needing to be present. L came close to figuring it all out, but now someone else, not Near or me, took his place as the new L. We can't get the information, so I'll have to go about it myself."

"No!" Quinn grabbed his arm, desperate to hold onto him tight. "What about Near? Can't you work together with him for once in your life? To avenge L? Your hero?"

He turned away from her. "I, I would never work with Near! Never!"

"Stop being so stubborn! Exactly what do you plan to do?" Frantic to get away from him, Quyen hopped to the center of the ceiling as she had whenever they had a fight.

He walked toward the door, exasperated. "I have a plan, ok? There's this gang in America that is poised in a strike against Kira. Maybe I can use their influence to take down Kira."

"A gang? A _gang_? Mello, do you know how crazy you're sounding? You do realize you're fifteen, right? How are you ever going to –" He answered the question by holding out a knife to her. She realized then that she never should have taught him how to wield one. "Ok, whatever, so you can fight. But … you have to bring me with you."

"Not gonna happen." He continues packing.

"B-but, I'm your girlfriend! You can't just go alone!" she pleaded with him.

He blushed. "I'm not. I'm taking Matt."

Quyen's mouth hung open. Mello was taking him over her. She questioned, "You think he's smarter? Would fit in better with a gang?"

He nodded.

"You think maybe Matt would be, say, a person to listen to you? Someone close to you?"

He nodded, blushing again.

Quyen nodded too. "I think I understand. I can't say I'm surprised. You always did come off as a tad feminine. I guess this means we're over, huh?"

Mello finally turned to face his now ex-girlfriend. "I'm sorry. I meant to tell you before."

"No, no, it's fine," she covered, though she still felt a twinge of pain. "I hope you and Matt are happy. Though, that plan you have? Yeah, it's still really ridiculous. If you're really sure you won't work with near, at least try to think things through, ok? You have a tendency to let your emotions take over."

"Thank you, Quyen." He rubbed the back of his neck. "One more thing? Please, just don't mention any of this to Roger?"

Quinn smiled. "By that do you mean your plan or your sexuality?"

He laughed with her. "Don't tell him _any_ of it!" Mello took a deep breath. "Well, I'm not sure I'll be able to catch you before I leave, so now's a good time to say goodbye." He open his arms and embraced her. "I'm really gonna miss ya."

Quinn held herself closer to Mello, hoping more than anything that he'll be able to make it back, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll miss you too, Mello."

Once they released, Mello turned back to packing. A lot of it, as it turned out, was either chocolate or hair products. Before Quinn went through the door, she remembered. "Oh!" She shuffled into the carton tied inside of her waistband. She tossed Mello the carton of cigarettes. "For Matt when you meet up with him. Good luck."


	7. Finale

**Author's Note: Last issue in relevant storyline. :( Which means this is over. A few more random fan fiction uploads and I'll be finished writing what in a sense has already been written. I'm moving on to my own original stories which you will one day be able to buy in stores. **

**However, I find I've grown to really like Quinn. If I ever have spare time and catch a break, there will be the chance for a bonus chapter that will take place at some point in continuity with what's been written. :D **

**And before anyone mentions it, yes, the song in the beginning is "Bad Boy" by Cascada. I own nothing.  
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**I hope you enjoyed.**

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><p><em>Won't you be my Bad Boy<em>

_Be my Man_

_Be my Weekend Lover_

_But don't be my Friend_

_You can be my Bad Boy_

_But understand _

_That I don't need you again_

_No, I don't need you again. _

Quyen couldn't get that song out of her today.

It was years later, when she was at the age of eighteen. At one point, of course, she had to move out of the orphanage. It was to help raise children, after all. She had moved on to have an excellent career in both computer engineering and acrobatics; scientist by day, performer for whenever funds were running low. That night, she was testing out her uniform, which was an adult-sized version of what she used to wear as a kid. She jumped from rooftop to rooftop, testing out the feel of it on her body.

Every now and then, she would delve into vigilantism. She would bust up gangs just for fun, thinking she may not be making that much progress in society, but at least a few more criminals were put away. Though she no longer stayed at Wammy's House, it funded both the equipment she needed during her day job and the research involved with the other.

Her latest clue led her to Japan, though which part was a little foggy. She found herself in an unfamiliar district – unfamiliar, that is, until she realized she actually knew a mafia hideout when she saw one. There had been reports on the news about their exploits before. These guys were willing to do almost anything to overthrow Kira. Quyen felt a twinge of guilt. Why hadn't she been trying to track down Kira? Why wasn't she contributing? In all honesty, the genius in logic needed for police work wasn't exactly the type of brains she was given. Why get in the way? Sometimes she thought that she wasn't worth of the letter that she was given before leaving the orphanage: Q.

Still, something drew her near the hideout that night. Something made her crawl through the broken window and creep along the forgotten floorboards. The entire place seemed more than abandoned; it was utterly destroyed. What happened there could be no less than an explosion.

Quyen stopped suddenly when she saw an adult male figure with shoulder-length blond hair pacing back and forth across the charcoaled wood. He was dressed completely in black leather. She was so excited she was amazed that she had enough coherent thought to realize it'd be a bad idea to flip onto the ceiling, given its current structure. Quyen called out to him. "Mello?"

He turned to her in shock, and then softened seeing the familiar uniform. He then seemed very displeased. "Quyen? Of all times, you choose _now_ to pay a visit?" He covered a portion of his face which he didn't cover fast enough for Quinn not to notice that it was hideously scarred. She made an effort not to let it show. "What can I say?" she smirked. "I've made a habit of throwing crooks from the mafia in prison. Who would have thought that I'd ever meet you here?" She instantly regretted that comment.

Mello shook his head. "You shouldn't be here. The Japanese Police are already on my tail. Everyone but Matt and I were taken down. Kira, who by the way is _impersonating L_, knows I'm onto him too."

Quinn was busy taking this in. "Where _is_ Matt?"

Mello turned and waved it off. "I had to kidnap this woman. He's distracting the police to cover me."

She stopped him immediately. "You _kidnapped_ somebody?"

He clarified, seemingly oblivious to any wrongdoing. "Two people, actually. I got this girl named Yagami a while back in exchange for Kira's murder device. And second…" He pointed to a woman named Takada, handcuffed to a pipe and completely silent.

Quyen rushed over to her. He hated to see her react in such a way to something he did, but he knew it was for the good of mankind that he took her down. "She shares Kira's power. I took her off my bike a while ago. I'm about to take her to more secluded location to make sure she doesn't have it on her. I came back here for… my gun."

She looked at him bewildered. The Mello she knew would never do anything like this. Well, maybe that was a stretch. He was certainly capable; the proof was right in front of her. For a moment she didn't speak, startled, but Quyen resolved that even if Mello was emotional, he always thought things through. "Things have changed," she finally stated.

Mello nodded, his hands now relaxed to his side, accepting that she'd seen him so scarred. Everything about their past raced through his head. Would she want to be back together with him? Would she hate him for doing these things? Would she try to change him back? As prideful as he was, Mello never once considered he may die on this mission. He had to win. For L's sake, for justice, to spite Kira. But, a nagging notion in the back of his head controlled him.

He walked to the back of the hideout, sparking Quyen's curiosity. When he came back, he was holding a rosary identical to the one he wore around his neck. "Things have changed. But that doesn't mean we should forget."

She grinned at the sight of her childhood friend coming back to her. She helped him drape it around her neck. "I haven't forgotten yet, have I?"

"No," Mello smiled. "You haven't. And I want to make sure you don't."

"Why, Mello," she teased, "what about poor Matt?"

He looked surprised with her mentioning his lover, but softened. "He wouldn't object to just getting a gift for an old friend."

Friend. Ouch.

She embraced him and he held her tight. She melted into him, taking in the feel of his leather and the smell of his cologne and hair products. It was like heaven. Suddenly, he pulled her away from him. "I need to go now. I need to investigate Takada to get to Kira."

Quyen nodded. "I understand. Goodbye."

"Later, Q. I'll tell Matt you said hi." He turned again and grabbed Takada, unlocking her handcuffs to take her on his bike again. Quyen watched as he sped away, hoping to deliver his own brand of justice.

The next morning, she discovered that both he and Matt were murdered trying to bring Kira to justice. Quinn once again brought her attention to latest security design and continued working.


	8. Bonus Chapter 1: Revenge?

**Author's Note: Remember the finale? Yeah, that was just the end of the main storyline. Every now and then I'll drop random little short chapters in here, which may not go in order and which may take place at any time between each of the main chapters. I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>"Just you wait, Near. Go on. Build your castle out of cards…" Quinn aimed her knives anxiously at the smug little albino genius, Near, as he made a tower five times as big as him out of playing cards. An evil grin spread across her face. She held back her blade, almost ready to release when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Quyen turned around in a shock, frightened that Roger had caught her with potentially-deadly projectiles.<p>

Mello glared at her from behind, as if in disappointment in her. She opened her mouth to explain, but he broke into a smile that was almost unlike him. "Bumping off Near?" The thought seemed to excite him.

Quyen blushed at being discovered, letting out a small laugh for Mello's assumption. "Just planning on knocking down his cards in a few key places … which will cause it to fall specifically to form the shape of a skull, just to freak him out a bit."

He raised an eyebrow. "And what'd he do to you?"

She knew it would sound petty, but at least she was honest. "He may not have insulted me directly, but he corrected my grammar and pretty much called me dumb. Plus, he caught me on the roof that one time I didn't want to see L and told Roger, and he even criticized the design of a new type of energy generator I've worked on. I already know that I don't like that little albino!"

Now seeming so excited he might burst, Mello rushed to sit by Quyen's side. "Let me help!"

How could he help, exactly? Only Quinn could aim the knives just right. Then, a kind of reverse-dating idea came across her mind. "I'll guide your arm." She put four knives in Mello's hand, between each of his fingers, clasped her own palm around his wrist. "It's all about control, Mells. Just imagine – "

That's when they noticed Near was gone. Instead, they slowly turned behind them. Quinn realized her intuition came too early. The first time it turned out to be Mello, but now … it really was Roger. When they looked to him, it was like staring at a bear – with grey fur – that figured you were too low to be his lunch.

The two of them waited outside of his office patiently. Quyen, not used to sitting normally, swung her feet under the bench outside the door. Mello looked to her, a little uneasy. "What? Is this your first time in trouble or something?"

"Eh. I don't make a habit of it, but that's not the problem. I'm a little … _hyper_ and just, yeah."

"Hm." He grunted. Many moments passed with them just being bored. They silently agreed this was a combo of Roger a) just wanting to torture them and b) cooling down from discovering knives got past him somehow. She had plenty more, at any rate. Finally, Mello started conversation. "So, anything new with you?"

She shrugged. "Um, I think I have an idea on how to kick my project up a notch. I think I'm really getting into tech. Oh, and there's a sweet movie on TV tonight. Wanna watch with me?"

Mello nodded. "Cool." He then took bite out of chocolate she never even noticed he had.


	9. Bonus Chapter 2: Truth or Dare

**Author's Note: My second mini-adventure for Q. I have no idea how I came up with this. I own no one but Q.**

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><p>"…there was even this one time I was so scared by the dolls my mother gave me that I locked them in a suitcase and hid it somewhere on circus grounds. Truth be told, I never found that thing again, thankfully."<p>

A few others in the group were chuckling while Linda wrapped it up. "Ok, so Quyen's creeped out by dolls. Let me guess, _Chucky_ was hard to watch?"

Laughing, she nodded. "Yeah. That and _Night of the Living Dummy_."

Mello spun the bottle again, and it landed on Near. "Ok albino, truth or dare?"

Still looking to his feet and twirling his white locks, Near looked up to Mello from the rim of his eyes. "I really don't see how it would make a difference. With you giving my commands, with either option there will no doubt be some form of humiliation involved."

"Ok," Matt complied. "That's a no-go. Time to pick something from the deck, I guess." He had brought Truth-or-Dare cards that would give a command to the whole group in the case that someone would be too hesitant to move on.

Near picked a card and read it aloud to the group. "The player who completed a turn previously is the train of thought for everyone. All players must close their eyes and anyone who dreams/fantasizes about the chosen player must raise their hand. No one is allowed to open their eyes until the action is completed.

"W-wait, what?" Quyen was shocked at such a dare. "Matt, I think you brought the wrong deck."

A smirk on his face said that he did indeed bring the right deck, but he said, "Yeah, you're right. But we might as well keep playing, right?"

Mello shifted through the deck. They were obviously brand new, as they seemed to be in some sort of order, getting more and more _graphic_ as more cards passed. We are talking X-Rated dares. "Matt! Where the hell did you get these and how the hell did you mix up the decks?"

Matt only laughed a little and lit up a cigarette that Quyen regrettably snuck in for him. Linda coughed a bit and waved away the smoke.

Mello slammed down the deck. "Damn it, Matt! Alright, we finish out this dare and then it's Linda's turn to spin. But I swear if I see anyone raise their hand I'm clocking them."

Quyen didn't give voice to the fact that they will all have their eyes closed so it's harmless, so she just closed her eyes like the rest of them. Mello, though, couldn't resist the temptation to peek. Quyen was the first to raise her hand, actually. If she didn't fantasize about her own life, then really what kind of person was she? Mello raised his hand. Being her boyfriend, there was no doubt. Matt and Linda kept their hands down. Near, on the other hand raised his hand.

Mello didn't even attempt to hide that he saw. He couldn't form words. He just got up and started attacking Near. The rest of the kids in the circle opened their eyes in _Whoa, what?!_ Near, though not much of a fighter, was good at dodging. He explained, "Please, I never favored Quyen. She takes critiques far too personally, her fashion choices are gaudy, and can only think intelligently when hanging upside-down like a primate. But a girl is a girl and that's all I meant by it!"

Mello's response cannot be typed here for censorship. Mello chased Near down the hall and Matt was busting a gut laughing while the girl were just awestruck, staring at each other. Linda muttered, "Nice boyfriend."

"You're free to have Near. Since you're a girl, he probably think of you the same way."


	10. Bonus Chapter 3: Halloween Came Early

Quyen looked herself over in the mirror. She was a couple weeks early, but the perfect vampire outfit was totally worth it! Having been raised in the circus, she was taught at an early age to appreciate a good costume when she had one. She had already noticed that Linda was going as a hippie. Admittedly, the rainbows and peace signs suited her. Since Quyen had a surplus of make-up, she decided to test-drive her vampiric persona in its entirety. She looked from behind the door of her room and saw Mello and Matt wander by, Matt being way too enthusiastic about a new video game that was coming out.

Quyen snuck up behind the both of them, closing her fingers around Mello's eyes. "Ok, Mr. Genius, guess who."

"Haha, Quyen?" Mello pulled her hands down and spun to meet her. He hugged her tightly. Though they consider themselves a couple, they are still twelve years old and the kiss in Mello's bedroom was still kind of weird. But the hug was still nice.

He pulled away and looked her over. "Whoa, you look great! But a little early, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I know. But I love costumes! You know I do."

Matt interjected, "Heh, yeah. It's pretty creepy. I especially love how you went crazy with the fake blood." Then he broke into a creepy grin. "But I bet I can show you something creepier."

"Yeah, your face." Mello slapped Matt from behind, making him knock it off.

He continued, "No, hear me out! I overheard Roger - meaning I spied on the guy. We're getting another new orphan, but this one isn't even a genuis. This girl is being taken in because of her special psychic abilities. Those detectives that help the police by seeing what happened at a crime? Yeah, she can do that. I heard she can even see the spirits of the dead!"

Mello twisted his arm in that friendly 'guy love' kind of way. "Yeah, right."

"No, it's true!"

All three of their eyes widened as they heard the main door open from the main entrance. They all raced out to the front and hid behind the door to the hallway and looked out to see who was coming in. Watari was bringing in a child who none of them had seen before. Her black hair reached halfway down her back. Her black clothes did nothing but compliment her slender figure. Her nails were painted black as well. Talk about a guest to see in October. Mello and Matt had both looked like they'd seen a ghost. Soon enough, they backed out of the room, just before she entered the office with Watari, probably receiving her codename.

She seemed so self-conscious, so seclusive; Quyen couldn't help but feel sympathy. She waited outside the door to greet her with a friendly smile and an outreached hand.


	11. Bonus Chapter 4: Christmas Angel

**A/N: The following chapter has a LOT to do with Christmas. I have nothing against other faiths, but if this is a sensitive subject for you then you may want to turn away now. I hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Quyen exhaled a long, dream-like sigh as she laid back onto her bed, looking at the ceiling of her room. Christmas was her favorite time of year, ever since she could barely walk, much like walk some tightropes. A bundle of artificial mistletoe hung over her head, but she never expected anyone to kiss her. Sure, she and Mello were <em>technically<em> dating, but they never did anything like boyfriend and girlfriend. That one peck on the lips was all they had ever done. It almost seemed like their relationship had completely faded away.

Shaking those thoughts from her head, she walked to the mirror, adorning a festive red ribbon into her hair. Then, just because she was getting used to it by now, she flipped up onto the banisters and carefully made her way into the main lobby of the orphanage via the ceiling panels. No one was creeped out by her being a Spider-Man imitator anymore; everyone there had their quirks, so this was just hers. And the knife throwing, of course.

Speaking of which, a certain snotty albino that always seemed to think himself better than her was stacking empty cartons of eggnog on top of one another. Quyen reached for her knife, but immediately felt imbalanced. She flipped back onto the floor for now. Surprisingly, Mr. Target Practice greeted her, twirling his white hair. "Happy Holidays, Quyen."

"Merry Christmas to you, too..." She tried to sound cheerful, but it only felt awkward.

"Ah, so you are Christian ... or at least succumb to the overwhelming propaganda concerning Christmas without much thought as to what true faith you hold."

"Uh..." Normally Quyen would have a come-back prepared, but religion was not a topic she felt comfortable discussing. Mainly because that and politics led to arguing. She was not one for confrontation, or at least not verbally.

It seemed Near actually noticed he was causing her discomfort for once. "I apologize. I rarely discuss many people's faith, so around this time of year I welcome them with 'Happy Holidays' to avoid offending said person who may very well be of a different faith."

Quyen let out another aggravated sigh. Having to say _Happy Holidays_ may be politically correct, but it's annoying. Her philosophy on the subject was very much like Walter's from a certain Jeff Dunham routine. _Screw you, it's __Merry Christmas__!_ As per usual, spending too much time with him began to give her a headache. "Goodbye, Near..."

After walking around for a little while, she found Matt and Mello sitting by a fully decorated Christmas tree - though the ornaments were rather unusual because of a little tradition. Each newcomer had their own place on the oversized pine with a handmade ornament of their own design. It was no wonder why the two boys waited up for her to see what she brought.

Mello greeted, "Merry Christmas, Q!"

Matt seemed dazed by the tree, so Quyen didn't wait for him to greet her as well. "And the same to you!

"_Well?_" Mello motioned for her to keep going, anxious to see her trinket to be hung. For someone who acted like such a badass all the time, Mello seemed to get into the holidays. But then again, not a day went by when Quyen couldn't see a cross on his person. Apparently, he really loved Jesus. It's not a big jump to love Christmas as well. Still, what Quyen had in her pocket made her embarrassed. All of the other ornaments seemed so finely crafted. Mello had a preserved chunk of chocolate hanging from a branch that was carved into the shape of the calligraphic L. Matt seemed to delve into fan art because his ornament was of Princess Zelda. Although, Near just punch a hole through a domino and hung it up. Quyen felt hers was better than that at least.

Reluctantly, Quyen pulled out her small creation. It was an angel molded from gold wire with a bead for a head that resembled a pearl. The angel's hands were joined and wings spread out from her back dramatically. "It's my mother. My father ran the circus I came from ... but my mother was always the one to train me, help me ... really she was the only one to raise me."

Quyen expected her boyfriend to embrace her, just a small hug, or at least say something of understanding, but he and Matt only smiled to her, be it warmly. Matt, much to everyone's surprise, actually spoke up. "It's only been a couple years, right? Shifted between a couple different orphanages, determined to be a genius, and welcomed as a Wammy. This must all seem to be moving so fast, right?"

She sat beside Mello under the tree, looking up after placing her beautiful little angel under the star at the top of the tree. "Yeah, it does. But I really like it here all the same."


	12. Bonus Chapter 5: The Day After Valentine

**A/N: Valentine's Day Bonus Chapter for my OC, Quyen. I do not claim right over Mello or the Death Note franchise.**

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><p>Quyen could barely drag herself out of bed. Valentine's Day had only meant a time for chocolate, normally. Now, though she was barely a teenager, she had a boyfriend to share the holiday with. So why didn't Mello do <em>anything<em> yesterday?

Quyen had long ago realized that Mello wasn't most affectionate boyfriend, but she also thought that he would at least do something special for a holiday. Deep down, Q knew that Mello loved her ... or at least cared for her very deeply. She scowled thinking of what he was probably doing in the meantime: studying to beat Near and become the one true successor of L. It wasn't that she didn't support him, but a little attention would be nice.

Getting dressed in her typical attire - tight clothes that, to her, mimicked the feeling of her old circus uniform - she began to wonder if Mello was even to be considered her boyfriend. He only ever kissed her once in his bedroom and it was barely a peck. When they were _12_. Wouldn't a boy hitting puberty want to do _more_ than that? Maybe there was just no passion left for her. Maybe, now, she was nothing more than a friend.

Q begrudgingly moved herself through the halls of the orphanage. It was time to put Valentine's Day behind her. And, as much as a small part of her would actually _hate_ to see Mello, she decided to go to his room and see him as well.

When Quyen walked in, Mello was sitting with crossed legs on his bed, almost waist-deep in discarded papers and chocolate wrappers. He looked up from a particularly hard problem in a special textbook that the Wammy House orders. He actually seemed surprised to see her and he immediately refused to meet her eyes. He felt guilty. So he _did_ consciously leave her out of the holiday. Quyen simmered, "Mello..."

"Q, I can explain..." His face was in his hands.

She raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious of what he had to say. She sat on the bed beside him and Mello's response was waving his hands out in front of him with a reddening face, motioning to look at what was all over his bed.

Chocolate wrappers.

He ... he didn't!

She wasn't angry. In actuality, Quyen couldn't keep from laughing, much to Mello's surprise. "You never change..."


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